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Set Up

To set up the Contribution Entry Screen to prompt for certain fields and skip others, you must go to File, Preferences, Contributions. You may update this at any time.

If the vast majority of the contributions go to the same fund, you may mark Skip Fund # Field and enter a Default Fund. Once in the Contributions Entry Screen, you may still change the Fund for the few transactions that require a different fund. If the Default Fund is used and you need to change the fund, simply use the Shift-Tab key to back into the Fund Field.

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Method of Entry

There are more options once you go into Enter Contributions. Try the various options to find what works best for you. The Method of Entry you choose determines the order of entry,

Standard Entry Accept this option when you are entering contributions in which data (i.e., Amount, Fund, etc.) varies from donor to donor. With this option, the Open New Batch and Edit Batch buttons bring up a screen on which you will see one donors data at a time. This option also allows quick entry using the number pad on your keyboard.

Quick Scan Entry Select this option when you are entering a series of envelopes that that have been grouped together for the same Fund and Amount. With this option, the Open New Batch and Edit Batchbuttons open a screen on which you enter basic contribution data (Fund, Amount, Date) and then identify a series of donors whose contributions match. Do not use this option if you need to enter Check and/or Bank numbers.

Check Scan Entry Select this option when you are going to scan donor checks using a MICR Check Reader to identify donors by reading the magnetic data encoded on the bottom of checks. With this option, the Open New Batch and Edit Batch buttons open a screen on which you enter Date, Fund, and Amount.

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Display Data on Grid

The three option buttons control how donors are identified in the Batch Transaction Grid (opened by clicking the Magnifying Glass icon) or in the Quick Scan or Check Scan Entry screens. You choose whether to display each donors ID Number, Envelope Number, or Name in the transaction grids.

If displaying byEnvelope Number, any transactions from donors who do not have an Envelope Number will display the ID Number instead.

If displaying byName, you may choose to stretch that column to display the full name.

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Once you have decided which identifying field you want to display on the grid, and which method of entry you want to use, click Open New Batch on the right side of the screen.

Enter the Batch Header Information and click OK. Note: the Batch Header Date does not affect the transaction dates (although it should be in the same calendar year).

The Contribution Entry Screen will display. There, in the Search (Name/Env) field, you may pull up the donor's record by either entering their last name, envelope number, or member ID.

As noted earlier, depending on how you set up Preferences, many of the fields may automatically be skipped, making entry quite quick and efficient.

Also note: On the OK button at the bottom of the screen, the O is underlined. This means you may use the Alt key and the keyboard letter O instead of clicking on OK if you wish.

Since you may need to enter more than one contribution for each donor, the cursor will automatically go to the Fund Number after the first line item is entered. If there are no additional contributions to add for this donor, you may either click OK or ALT-O to save your entry. The cursor will go back up to the Search (Name/Env) field to begin a new entry.

At any time you may close this batch and come back to update it later. To do so, click the Close button (or Alt-C)

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Option 1: To display all contributions you have entered in the batch, click the Magnifying glass to upper right of the grid.

From here you may:

1) Edit Batch Information: This allows you to update the Batch Header Information- Date and Description.

2) Delete: Select a transaction and delete it

3) Change Date: You may change the date of one transaction or all through this process. Clicking the Change Date button gives you a pop-up window with two options:

Select Date: Allows you to change all transaction dates from X to Y.

Select Line Range: Allows you to change the dates of all transactions from Line A through Line B to Date Z.

4) Change Fund: You may change all transactions which have fund M to fund N; you may also limit the transactions to only a certain line or span of lines.

5) Add: Add another transaction to this batch

6) Save: Save the updates

7) Close: Close this Batch

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Option 2: Open New Batch, Edit Batch, Delete Batch

Open New Batch: Add another Batch

Edit Batch: For whichever Batch is highlighted when you click the Edit Batch Button, you may continue to add additional transactions

Delete Batch: This will delete whichever Batch is highlighted when you click this button.

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Option 3: Print/Preview Batches or Post Batches

Print/Preview Batches: This allows you to print the information contained in one or all batches in various formats not available to you after the batch is posted. There are so many options, you must try them out to find which one meets your needs.

Select & Post Batches: Once you Post a Batch, you may not update the transactions without first voiding the Batch or individual transaction. Posting the Batch adds the transaction to each corresponding donor's record.